In this collection of poetry, 'In, Through Alabaster', Simon Stacey
offers an eclectic range of subject matter, from the mundane,
(the loss of an unfinished poem on a faulty memory stick), to the
monumental, (a contemplation of how the Lincoln Memorial
embodies that president's myth and reality). He vividly records
the experience and nostalgia of childhood, particularly the leaving
of it, the buying of a ring for his son's wedding and his preference
for his wife's first, and unused, name. The architecture of Warsaw
and an Italian Renaissance painting, both meticulously described,
sit alongside a frayed shirt collar his aged mother can no longer
see, and a West Midlands canal-side walk, beautifully and lyrically
rendered. Throughout, we become aware of Stacey's curiosity and
honesty, his reverence for beauty, and his readiness to explore the
difficulties of human relationships. The influence of admired
writers, including Elizabeth Jennings, Gerard Manley Hopkins,
Tolkien and Blake, is deftly integrated, and will delight the
experienced reader. Stylistically, Stacey is a virtuoso: he smoothly
transitions between verse forms and skilfully adopts a range of
voices and tones. The result is a serious and compelling body
of work that strikes the reader at once with his intelligence and
craftsmanship.
